Dr Who: Time and the Rani: DVD Review
Dr Who Time and the Rani
Released by BBC And Roadshow Ent
Rating: PG
Dear, oh dear.
Sometimes being a fan of something can be a cross to bear - and in Dr Who's
case, this adventure from the mid 80s which welcomed Sylvester McCoy to the role
as the Doctor still remains a horrifying watch some 20 years on.
Forced to regenerate after the TARDIS is attacked, the new Doc tries to work
out who he is - at the same time, his nemesis the Rani (Shoulder pad wearing
Kate O' Mara) unleashes her plan to take over the universe.
Time and The Rani remains a baffling piece of Dr Who history - the direction
and story choice forces the new Doc into being some kind of buffoon who does
little to immediately endear himself to a new audience. (Although this can
hardly be Sylvester McCoy's fault.)
The story is nonsensical and is Who at its very worst - it's only balanced
out by the fact that the extras explain so much of the reason why this just
didn't fire from the beginning. A fascinating doco, The Last Chance Saloon,
reveals the pressure on the team as BBC suits began to struggle to keep Who on
air in the face of such sophisticated new American sci fi shows such as Star
Trek The Next Generation.
While the main story is, at best, drivel, the extras give a depth to a
turbulent time in the show - and do a little to raise the level of this very
disappointing release.
Extras: Commentary, doco, FX docos (which are really
interesting given the limitations of 1980s graphics) and Blue Peter and
Breakfast time features - a reasonable bunch.
Rating: 4/10
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
Monday, 20 December 2010
Dr Who: Revisitations: DVD Review
Dr Who: Revisitations: DVD Review
Dr Who: Revisitations Set No 1
Released by BBC and Roadshow Entertainment
Rating: M
A seven disc retrospective on three classic old Who releases may seem a tad premature while there's a lot of good stuff waiting in the wings patiently for a release.
But this collection which pulls together Tom Baker's classic Talons of Weng Chiang, Peter Davison's superb The Caves of Androzani and Paul McGann's only TV Who outing, The TV Movie is a timely reminder of why these releases continue to be so important and informative.
While all three of these have had prior releases, they've been buffed up and remastered with a whole heap of new features. Sure McGann's TV Movie is still the weak link (and remains deeply divisive in Who fandom) but the features which go with it - docos on the making, production, the quest to get Who back on TV after its cancellation - more than make up for the generally patchy actual movie.
The Baker and Davison stories are equally lavished with some great extras, interviews and retrospectives which give hours of watching and will give fans even more love for these.
If you're probably not a Who fan, this set would be a good place to start - it showcases the best of what Who did on a limited budget and with more than a fistful of great extras, it's compulsive viewing.
Rating: 8/10
Dr Who: Revisitations Set No 1
Released by BBC and Roadshow Entertainment
Rating: M
A seven disc retrospective on three classic old Who releases may seem a tad premature while there's a lot of good stuff waiting in the wings patiently for a release.
But this collection which pulls together Tom Baker's classic Talons of Weng Chiang, Peter Davison's superb The Caves of Androzani and Paul McGann's only TV Who outing, The TV Movie is a timely reminder of why these releases continue to be so important and informative.
While all three of these have had prior releases, they've been buffed up and remastered with a whole heap of new features. Sure McGann's TV Movie is still the weak link (and remains deeply divisive in Who fandom) but the features which go with it - docos on the making, production, the quest to get Who back on TV after its cancellation - more than make up for the generally patchy actual movie.
The Baker and Davison stories are equally lavished with some great extras, interviews and retrospectives which give hours of watching and will give fans even more love for these.
If you're probably not a Who fan, this set would be a good place to start - it showcases the best of what Who did on a limited budget and with more than a fistful of great extras, it's compulsive viewing.
Rating: 8/10
Saturday, 18 December 2010
Animal Kingdom: Blu Ray Review
Animal Kingdom: Blu Ray Review
Animal Kingdom
Released by Madman
Rating: M
One of the hits from the 2010 New Zealand International Film Festival, Animal Kingdom duly deserves its wider release.
An Aussie crime thriller Animal Kingdom by writer director David Michod, this is the Melbourne set story about a crime family falling apart amid police scrutiny - and how a teenager previously estranged from the underworld becomes involved.
It opens with Josh (newcomer James Frecheville) discovering his mum's heroin overdose - and calmly watching an episode of Deal Or No Deal as it all goes down.
With no family to turn to, he's taken into the bosom of the Cody family - a local crime gang who're in their twilight of their career thanks to continual police surveillance.
When one of the Cody family is brutally dispatched, tensions escalate - and soon Josh is in deeper than he expected - and with Guy Pearce's Detective Leckie using him as leverage to try and bring down the syndicate, Josh soon realizes he has to take a side - and that the wrong one could cost him his life.
Animal Kingdom is a tense enthralling affair which hooks you in when you least expect it.
Thanks to the wonderfully layered performance of newcomer James Frecheville,you're caught in the grip of this slick slow burning thriller as you're never quite sure when it's going to explode into violence; there's little of that throughout but thanks to welcome directorial restraint, when it does happen,you're shocked.
With a moody ominous OST, some scenes crackle with uncertainty as you wait for the inevitable to hit. Ben Mendelsohn deserves mention as the volatile uncle Pope whose actions drive so much of the film.
Animal Kingdom is the perfect intelligent and excellently plotted antidote to fast paced unsubstantial crime films- it's a savage must see.
Extras: A plethora of goodies including, commentaries with directors and cast; interview with crime writer Tom Noble; trailer and a feature length doco all make this an essential package.
Rating: 9/10
Animal Kingdom
Released by Madman
Rating: M
One of the hits from the 2010 New Zealand International Film Festival, Animal Kingdom duly deserves its wider release.
An Aussie crime thriller Animal Kingdom by writer director David Michod, this is the Melbourne set story about a crime family falling apart amid police scrutiny - and how a teenager previously estranged from the underworld becomes involved.
It opens with Josh (newcomer James Frecheville) discovering his mum's heroin overdose - and calmly watching an episode of Deal Or No Deal as it all goes down.
With no family to turn to, he's taken into the bosom of the Cody family - a local crime gang who're in their twilight of their career thanks to continual police surveillance.
When one of the Cody family is brutally dispatched, tensions escalate - and soon Josh is in deeper than he expected - and with Guy Pearce's Detective Leckie using him as leverage to try and bring down the syndicate, Josh soon realizes he has to take a side - and that the wrong one could cost him his life.
Animal Kingdom is a tense enthralling affair which hooks you in when you least expect it.
Thanks to the wonderfully layered performance of newcomer James Frecheville,you're caught in the grip of this slick slow burning thriller as you're never quite sure when it's going to explode into violence; there's little of that throughout but thanks to welcome directorial restraint, when it does happen,you're shocked.
With a moody ominous OST, some scenes crackle with uncertainty as you wait for the inevitable to hit. Ben Mendelsohn deserves mention as the volatile uncle Pope whose actions drive so much of the film.
Animal Kingdom is the perfect intelligent and excellently plotted antidote to fast paced unsubstantial crime films- it's a savage must see.
Extras: A plethora of goodies including, commentaries with directors and cast; interview with crime writer Tom Noble; trailer and a feature length doco all make this an essential package.
Rating: 9/10
Friday, 17 December 2010
Predators: DVD Review
Predators: DVD Review
Predators
Rating: R16
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
The fifth film in the Predator franchise had a lot to live upto following the disappointments of the Aliens vs Predators entries.
Helmed by Robert Rodriguez, it sees Adrien Brody as one of a group of misfit mercenaries trapped on a foreign planet. As the group begins to investigate, they realise not only are they inside a game reserve, they're being hunted and suddenly it becomes a fight for survival.
Not exactly a mess, but this Predators film feels a little like harking back to its greatest hits rather than moving the franchise on.
Fans generally of the Predators series will see it as a return to form (and Adrien Brody is great in this all gruff and buffed up) but others may be scratching their heads as to what exactly is going on.
Extras: Over an hour of extras on Blu Ray - one of which is the motion comic picture starring Danny Trejo - it's a great entry and along with commentaries and doco looking at the rebirth of the Predators, it's a reasonable set.
Rating: 5/10
Predators
Rating: R16
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
The fifth film in the Predator franchise had a lot to live upto following the disappointments of the Aliens vs Predators entries.
Helmed by Robert Rodriguez, it sees Adrien Brody as one of a group of misfit mercenaries trapped on a foreign planet. As the group begins to investigate, they realise not only are they inside a game reserve, they're being hunted and suddenly it becomes a fight for survival.
Not exactly a mess, but this Predators film feels a little like harking back to its greatest hits rather than moving the franchise on.
Fans generally of the Predators series will see it as a return to form (and Adrien Brody is great in this all gruff and buffed up) but others may be scratching their heads as to what exactly is going on.
Extras: Over an hour of extras on Blu Ray - one of which is the motion comic picture starring Danny Trejo - it's a great entry and along with commentaries and doco looking at the rebirth of the Predators, it's a reasonable set.
Rating: 5/10
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Exit Through the Gift Shop: DVD Review
Exit Through the Gift Shop: DVD Review
Exit Through The Gift Shop
Released by Madman
Rating: M
Fresh from dominating the scene at the New Zealand International Film Festival, comes this marvellous doco about the pop art world and those who dwell within it.
It's about the birth of the street graffiti movement which swept up a generation and defined a movement.
Narrated with laconic ease by Rhys Ifans, its "star" is Thierry Guetta, a French filmmaker who somehow managed to find himself in the birth of the scene simply because he never put down a camera.
Guetta is a French immigrant in Los Angeles, who's obsessed with the street art scene and sets out to capture it for a documentary he's making - however, Guetta, a weaselly man in his forties simply manages to do this just by being in the right place at the right time.
Intoxicated with the art world around him, Guetta sets out to interview all of those involved under the idea of making a doco -even though he doesn't know what he's doing - and somehow manages to instill confidence in everyone around him.
However, Guetta finds he can't get an interview with the one man who's become synonymous with the street art scene, a character known only as Banksy, who never lets his face be seen in this film - and has his voice disguised throughout. Banksy became notorious for his pieces of art in the UK - and the more the mystery around him grows, the more desperate Guetta becomes to meet him.
One day, their paths cross - and Guetta decides he will follow into the art scene - with disastrous and hilarious results.
Exit Through The Gift Shop is laugh out loud funny in places, riotous in others - and will suck you in with its smart style but you may wonder if this is a prank initiated by Banksy who's famed for duping the world.
It's clever film making and could be the dawn of the prankumentary as it seems at times that this piece could be a mock doco with the wool being pulled firmly over the public's eyes - and the art world.
Extras: Doco about Banksy; deleted scenes and the lawyer's edit - all intriguing stuff adding to the feel of the film
Rating: 8/10
Exit Through The Gift Shop
Released by Madman
Rating: M
Fresh from dominating the scene at the New Zealand International Film Festival, comes this marvellous doco about the pop art world and those who dwell within it.
It's about the birth of the street graffiti movement which swept up a generation and defined a movement.
Narrated with laconic ease by Rhys Ifans, its "star" is Thierry Guetta, a French filmmaker who somehow managed to find himself in the birth of the scene simply because he never put down a camera.
Guetta is a French immigrant in Los Angeles, who's obsessed with the street art scene and sets out to capture it for a documentary he's making - however, Guetta, a weaselly man in his forties simply manages to do this just by being in the right place at the right time.
Intoxicated with the art world around him, Guetta sets out to interview all of those involved under the idea of making a doco -even though he doesn't know what he's doing - and somehow manages to instill confidence in everyone around him.
However, Guetta finds he can't get an interview with the one man who's become synonymous with the street art scene, a character known only as Banksy, who never lets his face be seen in this film - and has his voice disguised throughout. Banksy became notorious for his pieces of art in the UK - and the more the mystery around him grows, the more desperate Guetta becomes to meet him.
One day, their paths cross - and Guetta decides he will follow into the art scene - with disastrous and hilarious results.
Exit Through The Gift Shop is laugh out loud funny in places, riotous in others - and will suck you in with its smart style but you may wonder if this is a prank initiated by Banksy who's famed for duping the world.
It's clever film making and could be the dawn of the prankumentary as it seems at times that this piece could be a mock doco with the wool being pulled firmly over the public's eyes - and the art world.
Extras: Doco about Banksy; deleted scenes and the lawyer's edit - all intriguing stuff adding to the feel of the film
Rating: 8/10
Going Long, Going Hard: DVD Review
Going Long, Going Hard: DVD Review
Going Long, Going Hard
Released by Stormy Dog Productions
Rating: G
As you get ready to batten down the hatches for the onslaught of the rellies over Christmas, believe it or not, there are actually some who are suffering worse conditions during the break.
They are the endurance athletes who take part in Epic Camp - a nationwide event which runs from the very top of Cape Reinga to the very tip of Bluff over 16 days of the Christmas period.
It's the idea of former world Ironman champion Scott Molina - and this independently shot and filmed doco follows some of the world's top Ironman athletes - and average punters as they pit their wits and skills against the wilds of Aotearoa.
We follow the group of some 22 athletes from all around the world - some are lawyers, some are professional athletes. But all of them are after something special offered by the camp experience; whether it's the camaraderie or the simple effort of completing the 2500 km journey, it's clearly something they'll never forget - or outsiders will fully understand.
The non-intrusive style of the doco, coupled with some beautifully shot New Zealand landscape panoramics, encapsulate why some travel from all over the world to take part.
The doco follows the athletes as they run, bike and swim the programme. With a pulsing wild drum soundtrack and the dulcet tones of former ONE Sport presenter Geoff Bryan, Going Long, Going Hard is an intriguing look at the psychology of why - and how they do it. With highs and inevitable lows (bikes breaking, support vehicles failing), the piece zips along as it negotiates the punishing nationwide route.
With snippets of interviews of those involved - including the support crew, you can get (almost) the full experience of being a part of this.
But one minor problem is that with 22 athletes, it's difficult (and nigh on impossible) to get to know every single one of them because of the doco's 50 minute running time.
And it's because of that, that you feel ever so slightly removed from the fully intimate nature of this. It's a shame that you maybe don't get to follow one athlete - amateur or pro - from beginning to end and get their reactions to really invest in the reasons and psychology of why people push themselves so hard.
There's also an intriguing part which shows the group of relatively tight athletes splintering and a pack mentality manifesting itself on one athlete- which to an outsider is interesting but is left a little dangling.
But those are minor niggles in the main doco; and one of them is more than made up for in the extra features - thanks to footage from the cameras given to the athletes during the camp. Those extra insights fully flesh out the characters and their motivations for doing it (and therefore provide you with an idea of what kind of person does this).
Noticeably accessible to all for a sports doco, and definitely watchable, Going Long, Going Hard may appeal a little more to the sports fans among you; but to the casual viewer, it's a tantalising peek into a world many of us may never feel we may excel in.
Rating: 7/10
Going Long, Going Hard
Released by Stormy Dog Productions
Rating: G
As you get ready to batten down the hatches for the onslaught of the rellies over Christmas, believe it or not, there are actually some who are suffering worse conditions during the break.
They are the endurance athletes who take part in Epic Camp - a nationwide event which runs from the very top of Cape Reinga to the very tip of Bluff over 16 days of the Christmas period.
It's the idea of former world Ironman champion Scott Molina - and this independently shot and filmed doco follows some of the world's top Ironman athletes - and average punters as they pit their wits and skills against the wilds of Aotearoa.
We follow the group of some 22 athletes from all around the world - some are lawyers, some are professional athletes. But all of them are after something special offered by the camp experience; whether it's the camaraderie or the simple effort of completing the 2500 km journey, it's clearly something they'll never forget - or outsiders will fully understand.
The non-intrusive style of the doco, coupled with some beautifully shot New Zealand landscape panoramics, encapsulate why some travel from all over the world to take part.
The doco follows the athletes as they run, bike and swim the programme. With a pulsing wild drum soundtrack and the dulcet tones of former ONE Sport presenter Geoff Bryan, Going Long, Going Hard is an intriguing look at the psychology of why - and how they do it. With highs and inevitable lows (bikes breaking, support vehicles failing), the piece zips along as it negotiates the punishing nationwide route.
With snippets of interviews of those involved - including the support crew, you can get (almost) the full experience of being a part of this.
But one minor problem is that with 22 athletes, it's difficult (and nigh on impossible) to get to know every single one of them because of the doco's 50 minute running time.
And it's because of that, that you feel ever so slightly removed from the fully intimate nature of this. It's a shame that you maybe don't get to follow one athlete - amateur or pro - from beginning to end and get their reactions to really invest in the reasons and psychology of why people push themselves so hard.
There's also an intriguing part which shows the group of relatively tight athletes splintering and a pack mentality manifesting itself on one athlete- which to an outsider is interesting but is left a little dangling.
But those are minor niggles in the main doco; and one of them is more than made up for in the extra features - thanks to footage from the cameras given to the athletes during the camp. Those extra insights fully flesh out the characters and their motivations for doing it (and therefore provide you with an idea of what kind of person does this).
Noticeably accessible to all for a sports doco, and definitely watchable, Going Long, Going Hard may appeal a little more to the sports fans among you; but to the casual viewer, it's a tantalising peek into a world many of us may never feel we may excel in.
Rating: 7/10
Sex And The City 2: DVD Review
Sex And The City 2: DVD Review
Sex and The City 2
Rating: R16
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Carrie and the girls return in the sequel to the first film and the eternally popular HBO series.
Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie is now married to Chris Noth's Mr Big and struggling with the idea of faithfulness and what comes after I Do. Her ennui is compounded by the rest of the girls who're having issues of their own; Samantha's hitting menopause, Charlotte's jealous of her young nanny and Miranda is struggling with work.
They end up taking a trip to the Middle East and Carrie bumps into an old flame - and suddenly everything's changing for all the girls&.
It's fair to say that Sex and The City 2 is a mess - while it's aiming for the girls' night out crowd, it fails to engage anyone else and with a terrible script which isn't funny, original or entertaining, it's a real disappointment.
Extras: A second disc collects together 100 minutes of extras including an interview with SJP, doco on the men of SATC, and look back at the 80s.
Rating: 4/10
Sex and The City 2
Rating: R16
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Carrie and the girls return in the sequel to the first film and the eternally popular HBO series.
Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie is now married to Chris Noth's Mr Big and struggling with the idea of faithfulness and what comes after I Do. Her ennui is compounded by the rest of the girls who're having issues of their own; Samantha's hitting menopause, Charlotte's jealous of her young nanny and Miranda is struggling with work.
They end up taking a trip to the Middle East and Carrie bumps into an old flame - and suddenly everything's changing for all the girls&.
It's fair to say that Sex and The City 2 is a mess - while it's aiming for the girls' night out crowd, it fails to engage anyone else and with a terrible script which isn't funny, original or entertaining, it's a real disappointment.
Extras: A second disc collects together 100 minutes of extras including an interview with SJP, doco on the men of SATC, and look back at the 80s.
Rating: 4/10
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